When Love Finds You
by Merenwen Calmcacil
Summary: They were two wandering souls, lost and alone in the world. Then they found each other, and in each other they found love.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: No I do not own Star Wars or the song "The Dance". George Lucas owns Star Wars and Garth Brooks owns "The Dance." When you're fifteen and your parents won't let you get a job, you own nothing. So I own nothing. Oh and feedback is appreciated since this is my first Star Wars fan fic.

Leia had been sitting watching something on her data pad for quite some time. She'd hardly moved for an hour and seven minutes. Not that Han was timing or anything. He was just casually looking at the clock every few seconds. Fighting (and all the screaming and shouting that went along with their fights) with Leia he could handle. But her silence was totally unnerving. She was just sitting on a chair staring at that data pad.

He'd gotten stuck transporting her holiness to the new rebel base on Hoth. How, he didn't know. But she'd somehow managed to miss her transport and had no other way out. He'd begun to tease her about it as usual, but then she'd called him a "nerfhearding, bantha brained, son of a sith." After that he decided it might be in his own intrest to leave her high and mightiness alone for a while. It had been two days and she hadn't said a word to him.

So, Han, being the curious, but loveable smuggler that he was, decided to try to make peace with the princess and see what she was doing. Not that he cared or anything, he was just a little curious. He walked across the cabin and took a seat next to her. "So, princess, what's up?"

"What do you want Solo?" she asked not even looking up. "And if you say anything about me declaring my undying love for you I will use my blaster to personally make sure you never have children."

"Well since you brought up the topic…" Han replied with a devilish grin. Unfortunately he had failed to notice the blaster Leia had strapped to her hip. When he saw her hand go for it, he immediately tried to make amends. "Sorry princess," he said holding his hands up apologetically. He wasn't really sorry, but he knew if he made Leia mad enough, she might use her blaster to carry out her threat. "What are you watching?" he asked peering over her shoulder.

"Nothing that concerns you," she answered coldly and promptly stood up and started to walk away.

"Why?" Han asked snidely. "Because I'm not part of your precious Rebellion?"

"The Rebellion had nothing to do with this," Leia replied with a glare. "This is one of my private files if you must know."

"Sothe ice princesshas a private life?" Han asked teasingly, completely unaware of the fact that Leia's temper was about to explode. "Now this I've got to see."

"I hate you Han Solo," Leia cried, rushing from the room so he couldn't see her tears. But in her rush she accidentally dropped her data pad. She hardly noticed until she was in the safety of her cabin, with the door securely locked. She threw herself across the bed and let her tears fall.

Meanwhile, Han stood there shocked. He and Leia'd had some fights. Some of them had been pretty bad, but she'd never said she'd hated him before. He knew he had to have said something horrible. But as he mentally ran over their conversation, he couldn't think of anything he'd said that was truly offensive. He hadn't mentioned Alderaan, or called the Rebellion a worthless cause. Why had she gotten so angry? Han looked over to the door Leia had rushed through. Her data pad was lying harmlessly on the floor. He knew if Leia found out, she'd be furious. But he needed to know why she was so angry with him.

So, he went over and picked it up. Leia's face was frozen on the screen. But it wasn't the Leia he knew. It was a younger Leia, probably about six, in a pink tutu, with her hair braided in a halo around her head with little pearl clips here and there, and she was looking up at someone adoringly. Han was shocked at the unabashed admiration that shone on her young face. The little girl looking up at him looked so happy and carefree. Han pressed the play button and watched the little girl come to life.

"_Daddy!" six-year-old Leia called. "Did you see me daddy? Did you?"_

"_I sure did princess," Bail Organa replied from behind the video camera. "You were the prettiest fairy on the stage, wasn't she Carlist?"_

"_She sure was," Carlist Rieekan replied, taking the camera from his friend. _

"_Up Daddy!" Leia cried, lifting her arms in the air. Bail obliged willingly, lifting his daughter into the air and twirled her around. Leia giggled and snuggled into her father's embrace. "I love you Daddy," she said so softly the camera almost didn't pick it up. _

"_I love you too princess," Bail replied, shifting Leia onto his hip so he could have one arm free. Leia was such a tiny little girl. It was as easy to pick her up when she was six as it had been when she was four. He smiled softly as the day's events caught up with Leia and she fell asleep, resting her head against her father's shoulder. "Hand me her jacket Carlist?" he requested. _

_The camera jiggled a little and an arm reached out and handed Bail Leia's jacket, a light pink windbreaker. Bail draped it over her small shoulders and grabbed her bag with his free arm. _

"_How do I turn this thing off Bail?" Carlist asked, as the camera was turned upside-down. _

"_Press the little red button," Bail informed him. _

"_What little red button?" Carlist inquired. _

"_The one next to your finger," Bail sighed. " Go back to sleep baby," he told Leia softly as she stirred and lifted her head. Leia mumbled something that sounded like "daddy," and then let her head drop back to its resting place on her father's shoulder._

"_Which finger?" Carlist asked slightly panicked. "Oh that button!" Bail kissed the top of Leia's head and chuckled softly. _

The screen went dark for a moment and Han sat back and sighed, a small smile played at the corners of his lips. Leia had been a cute little kid. She'd obviously adored her father. The smile widened at the thought of General Rieekan not being able to work a video camera. But he still couldn't understand what Leia was so upset about. Could it have been the 'private life' joke he'd made? That wasn't one of his cruelest jokes. Could it be that this was about her father? Han sighed again and watched as another picture popped up onto the screen. This one was of a door. Han pressed the play button and watched as the video started playing.

_Leia opened her bedroom door and stepped out. She was wearing a pair of plaid blue pajama bottoms, that only the bottoms were visible of and a fuzzy blue robe. Her hair was in loose, messy curls hanging down her back. Silver framed glasses were perched on her nose and she was holding a manila folder in her hand "Daddy I have some questions about…" Leia trailed off, looking up at her father. "Daddy!" she cried. "Turn that camera off!"_

"_Nope," Bail Organa replied teasingly. "I'm getting just about every minute of your first day in the Senate. _

"_Now Daddy…" Leia began in her well-practiced diplomatic voice_

"_I'm not turning this camera off princess," Bail said firmly. "I recorded your first ballet recital and I'll record this too."_

"_You recorded all of my ballet recitals," Leia said, putting one hand on her hip. "Don't tell me your going to record every day I spend in the Senate?"_

"_Just the important ones," he replied with a grin._

_Leia rolled her eyes and turned around. "I'm going to get a shower and get dressed," she informed her father. "And don't you dare video tape that!" _

_Leia walked out of her room a few minutes later. She was wearing her white Senate dress, but her hair was loose around her head. "Daddy!" she cried, holding up her brush and bobby pins._

_Bail chuckled softly and set the camera down on a high counter so they could still be seen. He took the brush and bobby pins from Leia's hands and started brushing her hair. He parted it and expertly twisted it into buns, one on each side of her head. _

"_This style's itchy," Leia complained softly._

"_But you look beautiful princess," Bail replied kissing his daughter's cheek. Then he got up and turned the camera off, knowing how nervous Leia was. He didn't want to make her more uncomfortable. _

Han rubbed his hand over his eyes. He was beginning to understand why Leia had gotten so angry with him. These were all she had left of her old life. The life where she'd been a dancer and a senator rolled into one amazing package. He looked down at the data pad and saw there was one video left. This one had a title. It was called, "The Last Dance." He pressed the play button and music started to play.

_"Looking back on the memory of  
The dance we shared 'neath the stars above  
For a moment all the world was right  
How could I have known that you'd never say goodbye"_

_Leia was on stage dancing alone. Her hair was done in the same halo she wore it in for all her dance recitals with the little pearl clips. She was fifteen and it would be her last recital. So far her performance had been flawless. She nailed all her jumps as if she had no fear of falling. The audience gasped as she jumped into the air, higher than she ever had ever jumped. She positioned herself for someone to catch her and there were sighs of relief as a boy stepped out from behind the curtain. _

"_And now I'm glad I didn't know  
The way it all would end the way it all would go  
Our lives are better left to chance I could have missed the pain  
But I'd of had to miss the dance"_

_Leia and the boy danced together. Soft whispers were heard of how lovely they danced together. When they danced, their souls combined. He threw her up in the air and caught her seamlessly. Leia showed complete trust in the boy's abilities. If she was the least bit hesitant about whether or not he would catch her, she didn't show it. _

"_Holding you I held everything  
For a moment wasn't I the king  
But if I'd only known how the king would fall  
Hey who's to say you know I might have changed it all"_

_The dance came to an end and although the music continued to play, the volume was decreased. Someone walked out onto the stage and handed the boy a voice amplifier. "Leia Organa," he began sinking down onto one knee. "I love you, will you marry me?"_

_Leia covered her mouth with her hands and the camera zoomed in one her face. There were shiny trails on her cheeks left by tears. "Yes!" she cried happily. "Yes I will marry you!" Then the screen went black, but the music continued to play. _

_"Yes my life is better left to chance  
I could have missed the pain_

_But I'd of had to miss the dance"_

Han hadn't heard Leia leave her room. He looked up at her and expected to feel the full force of her wrath. But, instead she just looked sad. "His name was Alex," she said softly. "We were supposed to marry two weeks after I got back from my mission to Tatooine. But then…" Leia trailed off and looked away.

"I'm sorry," Han replied. "I didn't know…" When he'd seen that last video, he'd understood Leia's anger. She'd obviously loved the boy in the video. Before Aldeeran's destruction, she was engaged to be married. All the sacrifices she made had turned her into the ice princess she had become.

"What for?" Leia interrupted with a sad smile. "For looking in my private files, or for Alex dying?"

"Both I guess," Han said holding out a hand to Leia. She took his hand and he drew her to him, settling her on his lap. She rested her head against his shoulder and let her tears flow. They were content to sit like that for a little while. Two lonely hearts sharing their pain, for after a while Leia felt Han's tears mingle with hers. So, while on their way to an ice planet, they started warming up to each other. Of course, both would have denied the incident when they got to Hoth if questioned about it. For both had shown weakness they could let few know about. But for a few minutes, they'd exposed their tender side to each other. And in those few minutes, Han, for the first time, seriously considered joining the rebellion.


	2. The South Passage

General Carlist Rieekan brushed a few stray locks of hair away from Leia's face. She'd finally dozed off about an hour before and he didn't want to disturb her. He pulled her blanket a little tighter around her as he felt her shiver. He'd tried to talk some sense into her. He'd told her she should go to her room and try to sleep. He'd promised he'd send someone as soon as she could go in and see Captain Solo and Commander Skywalker. But that girl was just like her father and had insisted on keeping her vigil outside the door to the medical center. He couldn't let her sit there all by herself all night, so he decided to join her, like her father would have done.

Carlist Rieekan had been one of Bail Organa's best friends and when he died, Carlist had made it his personal mission to make sure that Leia was cared for. When she'd been a child she would run into his arms every time he went for a meeting with her father. Every time he made sure he had a treat for Leia as well. It was always something small like a bag of her favorite candies or a new hair ribbon. He'd been honored by her affection and as she'd gotten older she'd always been there to greet him with a kiss on the cheek.

When Leia had panicked after finding out about Han running off into the storm, he'd been there to calm her down and take her to a mess hall for something to eat. She'd tried to resist him. But when he'd mentioned that it was what her father would have wanted, she'd complied. But when he'd tried to get her to go to bed, she'd put her foot down and he'd seen the saucy little girl he'd adored when she was a child. But, he'd also seen her father shinning out through her eyes and he knew Leia needed to stay. So he'd decided to stay with her. At first their conversation had been about the Rebellion. Then they'd talked about when Leia was a child. It was easier for her than it had been right after Aldeeran's destruction. Then they'd lapsed into silence.

Carlist would never forget the look of panic on Leia's face when she'd seen Captain Solo wheeled in behind Commander Skywalker on a stretcher. "What if that's the last thing I ever said to him?" she whispered, her words laced with terror. "What if I never get the chance to tell him?" Carlist had wanted to ask what she wanted to tell Captain Solo, but thought it would be for the best not to. She'd repeated those fraises several times and then she'd finally drifted off to sleep about an hour ago. Now she was resting against his shoulder almost peacefully. She'd whimper every now and then, but she'd calm back down almost immediately.

What troubled him was how she'd been almost calm about Commander Skywalker's disappearance, but when she'd found out about Captain Solo going after him, she'd panicked. It wasn't that he disliked Captain Solo. He thought the captain was a rather admirable man. But, he wasn't an official member of the rebellion and he could leave at any time. Carlist wanted to see Leia happy more than just about anyone, but he didn't want to see her heart get broken. He knew Leia was an adult and could make her own decisions. But when he looked at her he couldn't help but think of the little girl who'd run into his arms and climb up onto his lap.

Suddenly the door to the medical center slid open and Han came walking out. He looked shocked when he saw Leia and Carlist sitting there. Carlist Rieekan smiled softly when he saw Han. Leia would be happy that he was all right. "How are you captain?" Carlist asked as Han approached as quietly as he could, so he wouldn't wake Leia up.

"Just fine general," Han replied with a slightly cocky grin. "It takes a little more than cold weather to get rid of me. Has she eaten?"

"I made sure she had both lunch and dinner," Carlist answered. "She wouldn't go to her room and go to sleep though. She's too much like her father to do that. Especially when someone she cares about is in danger. She was very worried about you."

"She was worried about Luke," Han said almost flippantly, but there was a little bit of disbelief in his voice. "She was probably glad that I wasn't around to steal supplies."

Carlist just shook his head and smiled softly. "You want to take my place?" he asked. "Leia will be angry if she doesn't get to see you and I'd hate to wake her up now. This is the first time she's slept in two days." Han nodded and they quickly switched places, careful not to wake Leia up. Han watched General Rieekan walk away. But suddenly he turned around to look at Han and Leia. "Oh, and Captain," he said sternly. "Don't you dare break her heart. Leia's like a daughter to me and I'm one enemy you do not want to make."

Han nodded slightly stunned and then turned his attention back to Leia. She was frowning slightly and was starting to stir. "Shhhhh," Han whispered softly. "Go back to sleep."

Leia started to comply, but then the speaker's voice registered. It wasn't General Rieekan. It was… "Han!" Leia cried happily as she looked up at him. "You're all right!"

"You can't get rid of me that easily princess," he replied smiling down at her. "Luke's going to be just fine."

"That's great," Leia replied, her eyes never leaving his face. "I just can't believe you're here. I was so worried that the last thing I ever said to you was going to be…"

"That you'd just as soon kiss a wookie," Han replied with his cocky smirk "You know I can still arrange that."

"You really make things difficult sometimes," Leia laughed settling her head against his chest. She was so happy that he was there and alive. She wished they would never have to move, especially when he wrapped his arms around her waist and held her close, pulling her onto his lap. Part of her realized that anyone could show up at any moment and what those people would think after seeing them like that. The position they were in would be a little hard to explain to Mon Mothma. But part of her didn't care. And for once that was the part of her that was going to win. She realized at that moment she spent too much time doing what was proper, and not enough time listening to her heart.

"I'm glad you didn't leave," Leia said snuggling a little closer to him. "I would have missed you."

"You want to know a secret?" he asked teasingly. But his face grew serious as he leaned closer and whispered in her ear, "I couldn't leave without you."

Leia's eyes widened in shock. He couldn't leave without her? For some reason she suddenly felt uncomfortable. She was letting her head take control again. She tried to fight it, but in the end, her head won. She pulled herself out of Han's arms and stood up, leaving her blanket in Han's lap. "I should go and see how Luke's doing." She said straightening the vest of her snowsuit. "I'll tell them to let you and Chewie in."

"Fine your worship," Han replied snidely. He'd all but poured out his heart to her and she was brushing him off. He got up as well and started to storm away.

"Han!" Leia called, turning to look at his retreating figure. "I wouldn't have let you leave without me," she said softly, almost too softly for Han to hear. But he did hear, and his grin nearly split his face in half.


	3. The Need to be Needed

Han was walking away from the party. Most of the Rebels were so drunk they were about to pass out. Now, he liked a good drink every now and then, but getting that drunk wasn't one of his favorite things to do, probably because the last time he got that drunk he ended up outside wearing a dress and makeup. Where they'd gotten the dress he had no clue, but Leia's secretive smile gave him a clue where the makeup had come from. So, he had come to prefer being the one sober enough to play the tricks.

He was almost to the Falcon when he noticed Leia's door was open a crack. He hadn't seen her at the party, not that he had been looking or anything. Wait, yes he had. She'd slipped in pretty early into it and grabbed a bottle from the bar. Then she'd promptly disappeared. Drinking alone was never any fun, he knew from experience. If Leia'd wanted to drink, she could have stayed at the party. Han was about to just walk past and leave her alone, when he heard something that worried him, he heard her soft sobs. "Hey your high and mightiness," he said knocking softly on the door. "What are you doing here all by yourself?"

"Go away Solo," she replied promptly, trying to wipe the tears from her eyes. "I'd rather be left alone…" she began and then dissolved back into tears.

Han took about two seconds to consider that she wanted him to leave, but a hurting heart and a bottle of alcohol could really screw up your thinking; he knew that from experience as well. He pushed the door the rest of the way open and walked in. He was shocked by the sight in front of him. Leia was curled up on the floor with an almost empty bottle of Corellian whiskey clutched in her right hand. Her brown hair was out of the halo style that she seemed to be so fond of and hanging loose around her head. Her white snowsuit had been discarded on the floor and she was wearing a pair of blue plaid pajama bottoms and a white t-shirt that he'd lent her on her last trip on the Falcon. But what worried him the most was the look in her eyes. They were usually so bright and full of fire, but instead they looked desolate, and hopeless. That scared him more than anything. "Hey your worship," he said softly, approaching slowly. "What's wrong?"

"Why do you care?" she asked looking away from him.

Han took a seat on the floor next to her. "Well, you see, I've got this thing against pretty girls crying and drinking alone," he replied trying to pry the bottle loose from the hand. For a princess she had one strong grip.

It took all of Leia's years of 'princess training' to keep her from snorting. "Just go back to the party Han," she said tightening her grip around the bottle, still not looking at him. "I want to be left alone."

"I know from experience when people say they want to be left alone is when they need someone the most," he told her firmly, finally managing to pry the bottle from her hand. He grabbed the cork from its place on the floor and jammed it into the top. It was quite obvious that her high and mightiness had quite enough to drink for one night.

"So now you're going to be my knight in shinning armor?" she asked sarcastically. "If you are, I've got bad news for you. He already came and got blown into oblivion along with the rest of my friends and family. I'm really not looking for a new one any time soon."

"I'm sorry," Han stated simply. "I didn't know…"

"No one here does, except for General Rieekan," she replied, looking at him for the first time since he sat down. "And he's promised that he won't say a word to anyone about it. People already treat me like glass half the time. Alderaanian's, the few that are left anyway, have a higher suicide rate than any other beings in the galaxy," Leia said, her voice growing softer and softer. "I've heard people talking Han. Most of them say it's only a matter of time before I…"

Han's eyes widened in shock. She couldn't be having thoughts of suicide. "Leia look at me," he commanded firmly grasping her shoulders. "You are stronger than that. Giving up is what the Empire wants you to do. The people here need you. If you give up, then the Rebellion will probably just fail. Is that what you want?"

"The people here don't need me," Leia said sadly, looking away from Han. "I'm just a burden to them, a broken princess of a destroyed planet. They don't need me Han!" Leia broke down into another flood of tears.

Han didn't know exactly what happened but the next thing he knew he was cradling Leia in his arms. "Shhh," he whispered softly. "They do need you. General Rieekan needs you. Mon Mothma needs you. The troops need you. Luke needs you. I need you…"

Leia looked up at him shocked. "You need me?" she asked almost hopefully.

"Why do you think I've stuck around for so long?" he asked with a smirk. "It certainly wasn't for the scenery." Leia gave a little laugh and Han smiled wider. "There's that beautiful smileI love to see."

"It hurts so much Han," she admitted snuggling closer to him. "It's hard to keep going some days."

"I know," he replied, placing a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

"You missed," she said looking up at him shyly.

"What?" he asked with a slight frown.

"It goes here," she replied pressing a finger on her lips.

Han grinned and leaned down, pressing his lips gentlyto hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he wrapped his arms around her slender waist. The simple kiss soon became a passionate one and Leia buried her fingers in Han's hair. He knew how drunk she was and how she probably wouldn't remember any of it in the morning. He also knew how vulnerable she was feeling and he didn't want to take advantage of the situation. So, he broke their kiss. "I think you should get some sleep," he said scooping her up off the floor and placed her on her bed.

"Han," she said looking up at him, her cheeks stained scarlet. "I don't want to be left alone tonight. Will you stay with me?"

"Sure princess," he replied, tucking the blankets in around her. He walked to the other side of the bed and climbed beneath the covers as well. Sometime during the night she managed to roll over into this arms and he held her tightly, her head pillowed against his chest.

The next morning Mon Mothma sent Luke to go and make sure Leia was awake. He knocked on her door and received no answer. He tried the doorknob and found her door was unlocked. Leia always locked her door. He opened the door and was shocked at the sight in front of him. Leia was there curled up in Han's arms! He was shocked to say the least. But part of him also said 'it's about time.' He knew the Mon Mothma had wanted Leia for something, but he couldn't bear to wake them up. Mon Mothma's yelling would be worth it. Leia and Han needed some time to talk about what had happened between them. So he slipped out just as quietly as he had entered.

About ten minutes later Han yawned and opened his eyes. He grinned when he saw Leia there curled up in his arms. He lay there for a few more minutes just watching her sleep when she woke up as well. Leia's eyes widened in shock and she looked her and Han over, making sure they were both still dressed. "Oh my gosh," Leia said untangling herself from Han's arms and sitting up. "I can't believe I forgot to lock my door."

"Good morning to you too your worship," Han replied sarcastically.

"Oh Han I'm sorry," she said apologetically. "What you did last night was really very… kind of you. And, well… thank you."

"No problem princess," he assured her. "Glad I could help."

"I'd really appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone…" Leia began blushing furiously. "It wouldn't be very heartening for the troops to hear one of their fearless leaders was contemplating, well, you know…"

"I understand," Han assured her. "I won't say a word about the whole suicide thing, but about that kiss…"

"Han!" Leia cried, her blush deepening.

"Don't worry," he said with his famous smirk. "I won't say a word about anything that happened last night." Then he suddenly became serious. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine," she assured him. "How can I get my revenge if I'm dead?"

Han just smirked and got up as well. "I need to go back to the Falcon, Chewie's probably worried about me."

"Of course," Leia replied. "So I'll see you later?"

"You can count on it," he replied, kissing her softly on the cheek. With that he walked out the door. Just as General Rieekan was walking down the hallway.

"Captain Solo," the general said formally, trying to hide his shock.

"General Rieekan," Han replied. "I was just making sure the princess was awake."

"Of course," Rieekan said with a small smile playing at the corners of his lips. "There's a rather worried Wookie looking for you. I would suggest going and calming him down."

"I'm on it General," Han told him and started to walk away.

"Oh and Captain," Rieekan called over his shoulder.

"Yes General?"

"You break her heart and I'll break every bone in your body," Rieekan promised and continued walking down the hallway.

"Yes sir," Han almost squeaked. General Rieekan just continued walking down the hallway chuckling to himself. It might have been abusing his power, but the look on Han's face was priceless. He and Bail Organa had always enjoyed scaring Leia's boyfriends. But Leia could never know that…


	4. Because I Care

"Hey Luke have you seen her high and mightiness this morning?" Han asked walking up behind the younger man. Luke was lying on a rolling cart under his X-Wing making some repairs with Artoo beeping and whistling near by. "She wasn't in the mess hall for breakfast."

"She probably grabbed a ration bar and went strait to work," Luke replied, rolling out from under his X-Wing. "But I haven't seen her either."

"I'll go check and make sure she's awake," Han said absentmindedly. "She was working pretty late last night. "

"Okay," Luke replied and rolled back under his X-Wing. "Artoo, get me that magnetic wrench Wedge lent me."

Han turned on his heel and went in search of Leia. She hadn't been at breakfast. He'd watched the door the whole time he was in the mess hall and then waited for her outside. She had never been there. He was sure of it. That girl was the worst eater he'd ever met. She skipped meals all the time. It was a wonder that she didn't have an eating disorder. So, he wanted to make sure she ate every meal, at least while he was around. Han found himself standing in front of the door to her quarters and knocked softly on the door. "Leia?" he called softly. "Are you in there?"

The only reply he got was a loud groan. She was in there. Han punched in the code to her door and it slide open. He'd watched her one night while they were fighting. He knew it might come in handy some day. "Rise and shine princess!" he called as he walked into the room. Leia groaned as Han flipped on the light and she rolled over onto her stomach.

"Go away!" she cried burrowed deeper under the covers. "It's too early!"

"It's almost eight o'clock," Han replied pulling the covers off her bed

"WHAT!" Leia yelled, sitting up immediately. When she realized what she was wearing, her cheeks flamed scarlet. All she had on was a blue silk camisole that left about three inches of her stomach exposed and matching underwear.

"Nice underwear your worship," Han grinned.

"OUT SOLO!" Leia cried pulling the sheet up over her bare legs.

"Just trying to help your highnessness," Han laughed as he slipped out the door. He couldn't stop laughing as he walked back to the Falcon. The sight of her high and mightiness in her underwear was totally priceless. He wished he'd brought a camera with him. It would have been great black mail latter on.

A few hours later Luke was still working on his X-Wing when Han was wandering around looking for Leia again. "Did her worship go and eat yet?" Han asked him with a slight frown. "I don't think she ever left her office."

"When does she?" Luke asked with a slight shrug, that Han couldn't see since Luke was still under his fighter. "Artoo get me that bolt driver Wedge let me borrow." Artoo beeped in reply and wheeled over to Luke holding the requested tool.

"I'm gonna go and make sure she eats," Han declared almost marching off in search of Leia. Sure enough she was in her office, hidden behind a mountain of paper work She looked up when he walked in and then immediately went back to the document in front of her. She had too much work to do to let him distract her. Han walked into the room with his usual confident swagger and took a seat in the chair across from her desk. He sat there for a few minutes silently and watched her work. He was so quiet she'd forgotten he was there. "Have you eaten yet?" he asked, causing Leia to nearly jump out of her skin.

"I had a ration bar at nine o'clock," she replied, not looking up. "I'll be fine until dinner."

"No, you won't," Han replied. "Now are you going to walk to the cafeteria like a big girl or do I have to carry you like a baby?"

"Han Solo you are not carrying me anywhere and I have too much work to do to leave this office," Leia informed him, glancing up at him "Sith," she cursed softly. "You made me loose my place."

"All the more of a reason for you to take a break," Han said as he stood up and walked back behind her desk. "Now are you going to walk or do I have to carry you?"

"Han SOLO!" Leia screeched as he lifted her into his arms and tossed her over his shoulder. "You put me down right NOW!"

"Twinkle, twinkle little star," Han sung loudly. "How I wonder what you are."

"You are a bantha brained, nerf herding, son of a Sith!" Leia cried angrily.

"Up above the world so high," Han continued singing. "Like a diamond in the sky." Han used his free arm to push open the doors to the mess hall and plunked Leia down on the closest bench. "Watch her," Han commanded an unsuspecting pilot sitting near by. The young pilot gulped and looked at the furious princess. Leia sat there angrily with her arms crossed over her chest, sending murderous looks in Han's direction. Han went through the line and got some of the things he knew Leia would eat and then carried the tray back to where he'd left Leia sitting. "Open up," he instructed loading some fruit onto the fork as he sat down next to her.

"Han Solo if you think for one minute that I'm going to…" Leia trailed off as Han stuck the fork into her mouth.

"Now chew," he commanded with a smirk.

Leia did as she was told glaring murderously at Han the whole time. "Han Solo I'm perfectly capable of feeding…" Han stuck another bite of food into her mouth.

"You're going to eat every bite of this," Han told her handing her the fork as Leia chewed her food and swallowed.

"But Han there's too much here," she complained. "You would eat this much."

"But you don't eat enough," he replied with a grin. "Besides, everyone should eat more like me."

"If everyone ate like you do the Rebellion would be bankrupt," Leia mumbled stabbing a piece of meat with her fork. Han smirked and sat there watching her until she'd eaten the entire meal.

Late that night Han went in search of Leia again. Luke had just finished his repairs when Han walked into the hangar. "Has her high and mightiness come through on her way to bed yet?" he asked Luke with a frown. It was really late and very few of the rebels were still wandering the base.

"Haven't seen her," Luke replied with a slight smile playing at the corner of his lips. Han had been asking about Leia a lot lately. Not just that day, but every day for the past three weeks or so. Luke had to admit that he first wanted Leia for himself. But, it ended up she was more like a sister to him Now he and the rest of Rouge Squadron had invested their spare time trying to get the two of them together.

Han turned and walked towards Leia's office, frowning slightly. Leia had a bad habit of trying to work until she passed out. She had to come through the hangar to get to her quarters on the new base and so she must have still been locked away in her office. He punched in the code for the door. (He'd also observed her punch in that code while in the middle of an argument.) Sure enough her worshipfulness was having a hard time keeping her eyes open.

She was sitting at her desk trying to read some document that required her signature, but the words kept swimming around on the page. She'd been trying to read the same line for ten minutes. Han strode into the room and walked back behind her desk. Leia didn't pay any attention to him until he scooped her up from her chair and carried her to the door. "Han Solo!" Leia cried, suddenly fully awake. "Put me down this instant!"

"Time for bed princess," Han informed her, throwing her over his shoulder. "And I don't want any arguments."

"Captain Solo if you think you can just pick me up and force me too…" Leia began angrily, pounding her small fists into his back.

"Rain, rain go away," Han began singing.

"Are you listening to me?"

"Come again another day," Han continued singing. Several of the members of Rogue Squadron peeked out of their doors to see the feuding almost couple.

Han punched in the code to Leia's door and deposited her on the bed. "It's time to sleep," he informed her firmly. "Are you going to try to slip out again?"

"You have no right to keep me here," Leia glared.

"Because if you don't promise to stay in here and get some sleep then I'm going to have to stay here and watch you," he smirked.

"I'll stay," she said glumly. "I promise."

"Good," Han replied. "Now get some sleep."

"Captain?" Leia asked shyly. "Why do you do all this for me?"

"Because someone has to care enough about you to do this for you," he replied, and with that he was gone, leaving Leia with a question lingering on her lips.

"You care about me?"


	5. I Love You

_A/N: Okay, this is the last chapter for this fic. I think they've turned out fairly well for a collection of random one shots that I wrote. So, here's the last one. I've got a longer story planned next. I'm going to post an excerpt from it after I finish this chapter._

Leia sat on Han's bed in the Falcon. The war was over, or they were winning anyway. There was nothing to hold Han anymore, except for her, maybe. That was what she was worried about. Now that there would be less concentration on fighting and more on setting up a permanent government and convincing other planets to join. She would be even busier than before. It was no time for her to start a relationship with anyone. But, the thought of living without Han was almost more than she could bear. She wanted him to be a permanent fixture in her life. She wanted to be able to kiss him every day and sit across from him at meals.

Han walked into his cabin, seeing Leia deep in thought. Arguments came out of her thinking to much. He hoped she wasn't going to ask him about his plans now that the emperor was gone and the Rebellion was going to become the Alliance. He didn't want to think about what he was going to do tomorrow, or the day after, or even for the next month. He wanted to concentrate on being with Leia and spending time with her. He loved her. He knew that. But, what was going to become of their relationship was still up in the air. He wasn't sure if she was going to have time for him in the new life she was about to begin, or even if she wanted him to be a part of that life.

She'd been affectionate after first releasing him from carbonite. She'd been loving and attentive at first, but then she'd started growing distant. She was still affectionate at times, but she seemed to feel as if she needed to be everywhere else but with him. She was going everywhere and doing everything, and he was proud of her. She was a fantastic leader and the moral of the troops had never been higher. But, he'd hardly seen her. Every time he'd gotten close to her she'd had somewhere else to be and he was beginning to grow tired of it.

Outside of the Falcon there was a party going on. There was plenty of booze and stories to be told. Leia had been there, smiling and socializing with the troops. She'd looked like an angel with a smile gracing her pretty features. She'd gone and led Luke back to the party, and then she'd disappeared. He'd searched for her for almost an hour before looking on the Falcon. When he'd found her, she'd been sitting on his bed with her feet tucked up under her, her shoes sitting on the floor next to his bed. She looked as if she was deep in though and hadn't even looked up until he was standing right in front of her. He could tell she really didn't want to talk, but this time she wasn't going to have a choice.

"What's wrong?" he asked sitting down next to her on the bed.

Leia unconsciously shifted away from him and wrapped her arms around herself. "Everything's fine," she said weakly, not looking at him.

"I'm not an idiot princess," Han sighed. "So are we gonna talk?"

"I really don't want to talk right now Han," Leia began in her formal diplomat tone.

Han was not about to let her get away with brushing him off. "All right your worship," he replied roughly. "If you don't want to talk then youshouldjust go, because obviously I'm not important enough to you for you to make an effort to make this thing work. So, why don't I just do us both a favor and go ahead and leave now?"

"What?" Leia cried, tears gathering around the corners of her big brown eyes. "You don't mean that!"

"Well you certainly aren't giving me any reason to stay!" he yelled back. "So why don't I just go ahead and slip away now before I damage your reputation."

"Don't leave," Leia whispered, feeling tears slip down her pale cheeks.

"Why not?" Han asked, calming down.

"Because I…" Leia trailed off softly.

"I didn't here you," Han said with a slight grin.

"Because I love you, you idiot!" she cried throwing herself into his arms. Han smiled and wrapped his arms around her. He held her close and kissed the top of her head. Leia sobbed softly into the front of his shirt. He didn't know why she was crying, he'd find out why she was so upset later. For a little while, he was content just to hold her and make sure that she knew just how much she meant to him. "I love you too," he whispered softly into her ear. Leia smiled against his chest and snuggled closer.

_A/N: So that's the end. Now for a little excerpt out of my next story, which doesn't have a title yet. After you read this if you could give me some suggestions it would be a great help._

Han wandered around through the market on Coruscant. It had been six years since he'd been near the planet. He was only there for the day. He'd seen her on the news already. She'd obviously moved on with her life. He hadn't seen her husband, but she had a five-year-old daughter who was missing. She hadn't been pregnant when he'd left. He obviously hadn't been that important to her.

Suddenly he felt something run into him. He looked down and there was a little girl with light brown curls and big hazel eyes. "Pardon me," she said softly, looking up at him fearfully. She wasn't an orphan that had been cast out onto the streets, that was obvious by the way she was dressed. She was wearing a white silk dress that came down to about her knees and her curls were held back with a matching headband. She looked like some aristocrat's daughter.

The little girl looked over her shoulder and took off running again. Han could see two thugs were chasing her, probably to kidnap her and then get millions from her parents, whoever they were. Han had no clue who she was, but he wasn't going to stand by and watch them grab her. So, as they ran past, Han casually stuck his foot out and tripped one of them. He punched the other one, knocking him out instantly. The little girl somehow sensed that she wasn't being chased anymore and turned around to look at him. Her smile wasn't unlike his own. She had what Leia had called his "Solo grin." Now that he got a good look at her, her eyes were the same color as his and her hair as well.

"Thank you!" she called before taking off again. For some reason Han couldn't let her run off. He needed to talk to her, find out who she was. She looked familiar, sort of like a mini-Leia. Han ran after her. When the girl saw him, she started running faster. But, Han could run faster than she could and soon caught up with her. "Hey kid, slow down!" Han called to her. "I'm not going to hurt you."

The little girl looked up at him, her chin raised defensively. "My mother says I'm not supposed to talk to strangers unless we're at a banquet, when I'm allowed to go anyway."

"I'm Han," he told her. "Now I'm not a stranger. So what's your name kid?"

"Padme," she told him slowly, eyeing him carefully. She looked like a little princess with the way she held her head and shoulders. "But I'm not going to tell you my last name."

"Well that's fair since I haven't told you mine either," Han replied with a slight smile. The little girl had a lot of spunk, he had to admit that. She seemed to be appraising him with the cool and detached manner of an experienced diplomat. It was an awfully old look for such a tiny girl. "Are you hungry kid?" he asked after a few moments of silence. Padme looked at him carefully, her big hazel eyes narrowed slightly.

"Alright," she said after about two minutes. "I am hungry," and despite her attempts to retain her regal bearing, her stomach rumbled loudly, causing her to giggle. Han was taken aback by her smile. Now, seeing it up close, he could see how much like his own it really was. She seemed to be looking up at him expectantly. He raised an eyebrow and she started tapping her little foot impatiently. "Well, are you going to offer me your arm or what?" she asked saucily…


End file.
